Cotton-bale opener



(N0 Mdel.)

J. P. BILLARD.

COTTON BALB OPENER. No. 264,696.

Patented Sept. 19, 1882.

[NVE/WUR N. PETERS. Phowmnngnpmf. whingwn. D. C.

4UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. HILLARD, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

COTTON-BALE OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,696, dated September 19, 1882.

Application tiled December 31, 1881. Renewed August 25, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES l?. BILLARD, of Fall River,in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Gotton-Bale Opener, of which the following is a specification.

One great source of danger of'res in cotton-mills is the method usually adopted of opening cotton-bales. The common method is to break the bands by a heavy blow from an ax, and it frequently happens that in this operation a spark is produced and the loose cottou thereby ignited. In some cases shears are used; but the operation of thus opening a bale is slow and tedious, and for this reason is not generally followed.

The object I havein view is to provide some means whereby the operation of opening cotton-bales can be conducted rapidly and at the same time with entire safety; and to this end '1 have devised the appliance termed by me a cotton-bale opener,7 which I shall now proceed to describe by reference to the accom panying drawings, in which- Figure lis a perspective view of the tool with the jaws closed upon a bale hoop or band. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same with the jaws open. Fig. 3 is a transverse longitudinal central section of the tool with jaws closed.

The tool in its general appearance resembles a wrench. It is composed of a handle,A, and metallic shank, B, terminating in ajaw, C, which I call the lower jaw. Upon the shank B is the sliding jaw D, n hich I term the upper jaw,7 whose shank D has fixed to it guide-straps ai, which encircle the shank B. The shank D can thus slide lengthwise of the tool, and iu this way the jaws are made movable to and from one another. The sliding jaw need have but a limited range of movement, and can be actuated to move by any of the known instrumentalities usually employed for a like purpose iu wrenches. I prefer, however, on the score of convenience and simplicity, to control it by means of an eccentric, E, provided with a lever-handle, F, and mounted on a pin or axle, G, secured to the shank B. In the face of the eccentric that adjoins the shank is an annular groove or slot, a', and into this groove extends a pin or lug, b, formed on or attached to the end of the shank D'. The eccentric can be readily turned by the handle F, and, according to the direction of its movement, the jaws can be made to approach or recede from one another. The interior opposite faces of the jaws are beveled oftl towardrone side, as indicated at c, and terminate at the opposite side iu biting-edges d. To use the tool thelowerjaw is inserted under the bale band or hoop, the upperjaw is brought down tightly upon the band, and then the ltool is twisted or tilted to one side. The object of the above-described coniguration of the acting faces ot' the jaws is to permit a slight play of the baud on the beveled side while the jaws at the other side nip the band tightly. The effect is that when the opener is twisted or tilted to one side the iron band is as cleanly broken along a line determined by the edges d as though cut by shears. The whole is the work ot' an instant and involves but little labor or expenditure of force.

To facilitate the insertion of the lower jaw between the bale and the iron hoop or band, it is made wedge shape or tapering, so as to have a thin outer end, and is prolonged so as to project some distance beyond the upperjaw, as indicated in the drawings. When thus'formed it can be easily and quickly pushed under the iron hoop of the bale.

What I claim as of my invention is l. The combination, substantially as hereinbet'ore set forth, of the two jaws, movable to and from one another and formed with interior opposite faces beveled to ward one side and terminating at the opposite side in bitingedges.

2. The combination, substantially as set forth, with the upper jaw, ot' the lower jaw, formed with a wcdgeshape or tapering outer end which is prolonged so as to project beyond the upperjaw.

3. The lower jaw aud its shank, in combination with the upperjaw, mounted and adaptted to slide on the said shank, and the eccentric and lever handle for operating said upper jaw, under the arrangement and forjoint op eration substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day ot' December, 1881.

JAMES P. BILLARD.

Witnesses:

A. T. ATHERTON, E. E. RIPLEY. 

